States tax real property in a variety of ways: some impose a rate or a millage—the amount of tax per thousand dollars of value—on the fair market value of the property, while others impose it on some percentage (the assessment ratio) of the market value, yielding an assessed value.

Homeowners across the United States pay taxes on their property to support a variety of local public services. Although millions of Americans pay property taxes each year, many misunderstand how their bill is calculated. We at The Appraisal Foundation also find that many people are confused about the difference between a tax assessment and a home appraisal.

Property taxes long have been the bane of Pennsylvania homeowners, especially seniors. The Legislature, for a generation or more, has wrestled with the issue and again is facing a budget battle in which Gov. Wolf is calling for tax swaps to reduce property taxes. So it seems like a good time to compare our state's burden with other states.

Here's a bright spot in the middle of tax season -- at least Californians, on average, don't have to pay as much in property taxes as residents of Vermont, Michigan and New Jersey. With an average tax of $1,431, California came in 17th in a nationwide ranking of property taxes in 2015, according to a report by consumer financial website WalletHub. Hawaii had the cheapest property taxes with an average of $482; New Jersey was most expensive at $3,971, the website said.

While Texas has no state income tax and no property tax on vehicles, its residents pay one of the nation's highest rates when it comes to taxes on real estate. According to WalletHub, a personal finance website, Texans this year are paying an average of $3,327 in real estate taxes. It's the fifth highest amount in the United States and 59 percent higher than the average American household's real estate property tax bill of $2,089.

A new study by WalletHub found out something all its homeowners know—New York has high property taxes. But it also found something surprising—New York isn’t the worst. It isn’t even in the bottom 10. WalletHub looked at the 50 states plus the District of Columbia, to see who stood where on both real estate property taxes and vehicle property taxes.